Liz Ruggiero

The 2026 FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships , presented by USDF, concluded competition Sunday, August 2, at Flintfields Horse Park with the FEI Junior Individual and FEI Young Rider Individual Freestyles.

Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and the beautiful mare Mount St John Freestyle have returned to the top of their respective world rankings in the very final countdown to this month's FEI World Championships, which kick off in Aachen (GER) next week and when teams will have the first chance to earn a quota place for their nation at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

US Equestrian is announcing a substitution to The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team ahead of the 2026 FEI Dressage World Championships Jordan LaPlaca (Ledyard, Ct.) and Gold Play have formally withdrawn and will be replaced by Kasey Perry-Glass (Wellington, Fla.) and Heartbeat W.P.

Extra Fine HW is an extremely fancy gentleman. Beauty, elasticity, and suspension outline this stunning creature. Three rhythmic, big, expressive gaits – that will blow any and all competition out of the park. He is fabulous and easy to ride. Super nice to sit and light in the bridle, he is the horse we all wish we had.

45 six-year-old dressage horses competed in the final qualifier at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Verden. Victory in the Andrea Vest Prize went to the Danish gelding Faustino G with a score of 9.26, ahead of Dizzy (score 8.92), also bred in Denmark, and the Hanoverian Sir Gribaldi (8.82).

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the two individual jumping combinations selected to represent U.S. Jumping at the CSI-Y Aachen, hosted from August 21-23, 2026, during the FEI Jumping World Championships in Aachen, Germany. The athletes will be supported by Erin Keating, Director of Jumping Development Programs.

Competition is officially underway for the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling, and the first championship was presented on Wednesday, August 6, in the Rolex Stadium after 148 large pony hunters showcased their brilliance. The overall national champion title for the large regulars went to Blue By You, a 2014 Welsh Pony Cross (Clovercroft Polarized x Splash Of Hope) owned by First Blue LLC, and shown by Lacey Powers (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) on a score of 1042.17.

“If he were a person, he would definitely be James Bond,” smiles rider and owner Charlotte Dujardin. “He's so good-looking. He'd be the one emerging from the sea at the end of the film, impressing everyone with his muscles – just like James Bond.” The British Olympic champion raves about the Hanoverian Secret/De Niro son Secret Agent, winner of the qualifier for seven-year-old dressage horses at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden, the “Iwiccy Dressage Prize”.

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) proudly welcomes Mirko Midili to the elite ranks of the association's Million Dollar Riders after surpassing $1 million in NRHA lifetime earnings during the 2026 6666 NRHA Derby® presented by Markel.

Three age categories produced three new World Champions from three different nations at the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Verden (GER). Einfach Imposant B and Kira Laura Soddemann (GER) claimed the title as the five-year-old World Champion after five days of competition.